Portsmouth news: 38-year-old set to make ‘unexpected comeback’ at Fratton Park
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho was an established EFL player before his managerial career began, but he is set to step back out onto the pitch again.
Mousinho is relatively young for a manager at 38, and he only hung up his playing boots two years ago, meaning he should still be in relatively good shape to play 90 minutes one more time.
Under his management, Portsmouth returned to the Championship after 13 years away, with his side winning League One last season, and are currently four points clear of the relegation zone.
The London-born manager played for 11 different clubs over his career, but Portsmouth was not one of them. However, he will don the famous blue shirt for one game later this year.
John Mousinho to feature in Portsmouth charity match
In May, Fratton Park will host a charity match as a fundraiser for Alan Knight, with the legendary Pompey goalkeeper currently battling cancer.
With big names such as Yakubu set to feature, Mousinho will also line up alongside Portsmouth legends in the charity match, and the manager will step out onto the Fratton Park pitch on the other side of the touchline.
| Stat | John Mousinho |
| Matches | 116 |
| Wins | 53 |
| Draws | 31 |
| Losses | 32 |
| Points per game | 1.64 |
Mousinho was a midfielder for most of his career before dropping into the back line, and many will be eager to see how he fairs after ending his playing days two years ago.
John Mousinho’s playing record vs Portsmouth
Mousinho has actually played at Fratton Park before, having featured in games against Portsmouth on 10 different occasions.
Six of these matches came at Fratton Park, and Mousinho lost just once, with Pompey beating his Oxford United side 3-0 in 2017-18.
Overall, Mousinho recorded four wins and five draws as a player against Portsmouth, with the majority of these games coming in League One.
It will be interesting to see whether Mousinho returns to his old midfield position, or picks up where he left off as a centre-back for this charity game, in which he will face players who retired a long time before he did.
The Pompey manager was a strong leader during his playing days, and these leadership skills have been seen in his management, with the 38-year-old aiming to keep Portsmouth in the Championship before this game comes around.